BE1024988B1 - Device for printing an object with a foil - Google Patents

Abstract

Device for printing an object (2) with a foil (3), which device (1) comprises a needle block (4) with needles (6) that can be heated, a control unit (5) that can determine and adjust which needles (6) are heated at which time, characterized in that the device (1) is furthermore provided with a roll (10) which is rotatably arranged and which the object (2), when placed on the roll (10), under the needle block (5).

Description

(30) Priority data:

(73) Holder (s):

UNIBIND LIMITED

2406, EGKOMI (NICOSIA)

Cyprus (72) Inventor (s):

PELEMAN Guido Frans M. 8300 KNOKKE-HEIST Belgium (54) Device for printing an object with a foil (57) Device for printing an object (2) with a foil (3), which device (1) is a block of needles (4) comprising needles (6) which can be heated, a control unit (5) which can determine and set which needles (6) are heated at what time, characterized in that the device (1) is further provided with a roi (10) which is rotatably arranged and which, when placed on the roi (10), can guide the object (2) under the needle block (5).

BELGIAN INVENTION PATENT

FPS Economy, K.M.O., Self-employed & Energy

Publication number: 1024988 Filing number: BE2017 / 5101

Intellectual Property Office International classification: B41F 16/00 B44C 1/10 B41J 2/23 B44C 1/14 B41J 2/325

Date of grant: 13/09/2018

The Minister of Economy,

Having regard to the Paris Convention of 20 March 1883 for the Protection of Industrial Property;

Having regard to the Law of March 28, 1984 on inventive patents, Article 22, for patent applications filed before September 22, 2014;

Having regard to Title 1 Invention Patents of Book XI of the Economic Law Code, Article XI.24, for patent applications filed from September 22, 2014;

Having regard to the Royal Decree of 2 December 1986 on the filing, granting and maintenance of inventive patents, Article 28;

Having regard to the application for an invention patent received by the Intellectual Property Office on 16/02/2017.

Whereas for patent applications that fall within the scope of Title 1, Book XI, of the Code of Economic Law (hereinafter WER), in accordance with Article XI.19, § 4, second paragraph, of the WER, the granted patent will be limited. to the patent claims for which the novelty search report was prepared, when the patent application is the subject of a novelty search report indicating a lack of unity of invention as referred to in paragraph 1, and when the applicant does not limit his filing and does not file a divisional application in accordance with the search report.

Decision:

Article 1

UNIBIND LIMITED, 13 Agiou Prokopiou Street, 2406 EGKOMI (NICOSIA) Cyprus;

represented by

VAN VARENBERG Patrick, Arenbergstraat 13, 2000, ANTWERP;

a Belgian invention patent with a term of 20 years, subject to payment of the annual fees as referred to in Article XI.48, § 1 of the Code of Economic Law, for: Device for printing an object with a foil.

INVENTOR (S):

PELEMAN Guido Frans M „Zeedijk 653, 7.2, 8300, KNOKKE-HEIST;

PRIORITY:

BREAKDOWN:

Split from basic application: Filing date of the basic application:

Article 2. - This patent is granted without prior investigation into the patentability of the invention, without warranty of the Merit of the invention, nor of the accuracy of its description and at the risk of the applicant (s).

Brussels, 13/09/2018,

With special authorization:

BE2017 / 5101

Device for printing an object with a foil.

The present invention relates to printing an object with a foil.

More specifically, the invention is intended to provide, for example, a cover, flyer, banner, cards and the like with a printing from a foil, such as for instance a gold or silver foil.

It is known that printing with, for example, a gold or silver foil is used to give the object an exclusive and prestigious appearance and character.

Foil printing is based on a thin polyester film, typically a few microns thick, to which a color is first applied, for example by evaporation.

Then a thin layer of typically a few microns of hot melt is applied.

By placing such film on an object with the hotmelt adhesive against the surface of the object and then heating locally, the hotmelt will melt locally and thus adhere the colored film to the object.

BE2017 / 5101

After solidification and removal of the foil, the gold or silver colored foil will remain on the object at the relevant location.

Traditionally, a heated Stamp is used in which the image is engraved, so that this warm Stamp can be used to press the foil to melt the hot melt and to have it fixed on the object to be printed.

A major drawback of such a Stamp is that a new Stamp with the desired image has to be made each time by engraving or chemical etching. This makes the process cumbersome, very time consuming and expensive.

A more recent method is to replace the Stamp with a block of fine heated needles.

With help of a computer control this one needles controlled to them heating according to a certain pattern, so that the heated needles the hot melt to do to melt according to this pattern. This will, just as with the heated one Stamp, after

solidification of the hotmelt adhesive this pattern can be pressed into the colored film on the object.

The existing devices using such a needle block work with a system where the object to be printed is fixed on a table and the needle block moves horizontally over this table to print the object on the desired locations with the foil.

BE2017 / 5101

A drawback is that such a device takes up a lot of space, for example 380 millimeters by 330 millimeters. That is a very large space for a shop, office or the like for occasional use.

Yet another drawback is that the length of the print is limited to the length of the table, for example 380 millimeters, which is usually too short for banner applications.

The present invention aims to solve at least one of the aforementioned and other disadvantages.

The present invention has a device as an object for printing an object with a foil, the device comprising a needle block with needles that can be heated, a control unit which can determine and set which needles are heated at what time, with the characterized in that the device further comprises a roller which is rotatably arranged and which, when placed on the roller, can guide the object under the needle block.

An advantage is that the device can be very compact, since no table is required to place the object over which the needle block can move.

Instead, the object will be moved through the roller under the needle block.

BE2017 / 5101

Another advantage is that the dimensions of the objects that can be printed do not depend on the size of the table.

In addition, the dimensions of the printing will not be limited to the range over which the needle block can move over the object on the table.

In this way, banners or other elongated objects can also be provided with a long print.

In a preferred embodiment, the roller is driven.

This has the advantage that the speed at which the object moves under the needle block can be controlled by controlling the speed at which the roller is driven.

The roller can be driven by means of a motor 1 or the like.

The control of this motor can be controlled by the same control as that which controls the needle block.

With the insight to better demonstrate the features of the invention, a preferred embodiment of an apparatus for printing an object having an object with

BE2017 / 5101 a foil according to the invention, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

figure 1 schematically and in perspective represents a device according to the invention;

figure 2 shows a side view of the device of figure 1 according to the arrow F2, wherein an object to be printed is arranged under the needle block;

figure 3 represents the device of figure 2, but without lateral guides.

The device 1 according to the invention schematically shown in Figures 1 and 2 for printing an object 2 with a foil 3 mainly comprises a needle block 4 with needles that can be heated and a control unit 5 which can determine and set which needles 6 what time to be heated.

The needle block 4 is therefore provided with a heating element 7 which can be controlled by the control unit 5 to control when which needles 6 are heated.

The control unit 5 is provided for this purpose with the necessary software which will allow to convert an image, text or the like to be printed in foil 3 to successive patterns of different needles 6 which are successively heated.

2017/5101 ₆ BE2017 / 5101

The device 1 is also provided with two drums 8 on either side of the needle block on which foil 3 can be rolled up or unwound, whereby this foil 3 passes along or over the needle block 4,

Two guide rods 9 are provided to guide the foil 3 along the needle block.

This foil 3 will typically consist of a thin polyester 10 film, typically a few microns thick, on which a color, for example silver foil or gold foil, is first applied with, for example, evaporation and on which a thin layer of typically a few microns hot melt adhesive is subsequently applied.

The invention is not limited to the aforementioned two drums 8 with guide rods 9 and it is clear that instead other means can also be provided for passing the foil 3 under or along the needle block 4.

According to the invention, the device 1 further comprises a roller 10 which is rotatably arranged and which, when placed on the roller 10, can guide the object 2 under the needle block 4 in a lateral direction P or Q as shown in figure 2.

Preferably, this roller 10 is driven, i.e. the device 1 is provided with, for example, an electric motor or the like which will drive the roller 10, i.e. which will leave the roller 10

BE2017 / 5101 rotate or rotate respectively in the direction of rotation

P 'or Q'.

This electric motor can also be controlled by the control unit 5, so that the rotational speed of the roller 10 can be synchronized with the unwinding speed of the foil 3.

In a preferred embodiment, the roll 10 is provided with an anti-slip coating or coating or the roll 10 itself is made of an anti-slip material.

This can be achieved, for example, by manufacturing the roller 10 from rubber or by providing a rubber layer around the roller.

As can be seen in Figure 1, the needle block 4 is opposite the roller 10, but this is not necessary for the invention.

In this case, the needle block 4 is only movable away from and towards the roller 10.

That is, the needles 6 can be moved down toward the roller 10 to allow printing of the color on the object and the needles 6 can be moved upward away from the roller 10 about an object 2 to install and remove.

A movement of the needle block 4 in a horizontal plane,

i.e. over the object 2 to be printed, such as at the

BE2017 / 5101 traditional devices 1 is necessary, is not possible in this embodiment.

In this case, but not necessary for the invention, the device 1 is provided with a collapsible or removable guide plate 11a, 11b which will guide an object 2 to be printed on the roll 10.

The guide plate 11a, 11b can be designed in different ways and, as shown in the figures, can also consist of different parts 11a, 11b.

In this case, there are two parts 11a, 11b, on either side of the roll 10.

Both parts 11a, 11b are removable in this case, but they could also be collapsible.

In this way, the guide plate 11a, 11b can be removed when the device 1 is not in use, so that it becomes very compact and does not take up much space.

The operation of the device 1 is very simple and effective.

First, the guide plate 11a, 11b is mounted on the device 1, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

An object 2 to be printed, such as, for example, a cover, is placed on the guide plate 11a, 11b, such as

BE2017 / 5101 shown in figure 2 and the needle block A is brought to the roller 10. As a result, the cover will make contact with the foil 3 which is arranged in the device 1.

The control unit 5 will then be responsible for controlling the needle block 4.

The control unit 5 will heat the needles 6, on the basis of the image or text to be printed, in a specific pattern while at the same time the roller 10 will be driven, so that the cover, as it were, moves underneath the needle block 4.

By heating certain needles 6, the hot melt on the foil 3 will melt locally.

Because the foil 3 makes contact with the cover, the melted hot melt adhesive will adhere to the surface of the cover. Along with the hot melt adhesive, the colored film will also adhere to the cover.

By driving the roller 10, the cover will move under the needles 6, while at the same time the control unit 4 will rotate the drums 8 so that the foil 3 slides further under the needle block 4 and heats certain other needles 6 according to the aforementioned pattern.

This will allow the sensitive part of the image or text to be printed on the cover.

BE2017 / 5101

Because the roller 10 is opposite the needle block 4, a certain pressure can be exerted by the needles 6 on the cover and on the foil 3. This can ensure that there is good contact between the needles 6, the foil 3 and the cover, so that good adhesion of the hot-melt adhesive and the silver or gold foil to the cover can be ensured.

Printing is continued in this manner until the desired image or text is printed on the cover.

Then the needle block 4 is moved upwards and the cover can be removed.

It is of course also possible that the needle block 4 is not moved upwards, but that the roller 10 continues to rotate until the cover has been pushed completely underneath the needle block 4 and ends up on the other part of the guide plate 11a, 11b and can be removed there.

Then, the next object 2 to be printed can be placed on the guide plate 11a, 11b and the operation can be repeated.

Fig. 3 illustrates that, for example, in case the object 2 is a rigid printable border with a backing 12 and two rigid endpapers 13, the guide plates 11a and 11b may be omitted.

BE2017 / 5101

The farde 2 is then placed with one of its endpapers 13 above the roi as shown in figure 3, with the back 12 next to the roi 10.

By moving the needles 6 downwards, the corresponding front cover of the frame 2 will automatically be leveled and, when the roi 10 is driven, it will be moved sideways while the printing is pressed on the front cover 13.

In an alternative embodiment, not shown in the figures, the device 1 comprises two rollers 10 which are arranged rotatably and side by side, the rollers 10 extending parallel to each other with their axis.

Such an embodiment has the advantage that a flat, rigid object 2, such as a cardboard cover or the like, can rest stable on the two rollers 10 during printing with foil 3 using the device 1 according to the invention.

Indeed, because the object 2 can rest on the two rollers 10 and thus has two support points, it will lie stable under the needle block 4.

In addition, a heavier object will also be passed well under the needle block 4 by two driven rollers 10, since two rollers 10 will ensure the advancement of the object.

BE2017 / 5101

An additional advantage is that a round object 2, such as a pen, can be placed between the two rollers 10. By driving the two rollers 10, the pin will rotate, so that it can be printed with the device 1.

The distance between the two rollers 10 will preferably be adjustable, so that round objects 2 can be printed with different diameters.

It is clear that it is not excluded that the device 1 is provided with more than two rollers 10, but this will be detrimental to the compactness of the device

1.

The present invention is by no means limited to the embodiment described in the foregoing and shown in the figures, but an apparatus for printing an object with a foil according to the invention can be realized in various shapes and sizes without departing from the scope of the invention .

2017/5101 ₁₃ BE2017 / 5101

Claims (9)

Conclusions. 1. - Device for printing an object {2) with a foil (3), which device (1) comprises a needle block {4) with needles (6) that can be heated, a control unit (5) can determine and set which needles (6) are heated at what time, characterized in that the device (1) is further provided with a Roller {10) which is arranged rotatably and which the object (2), when placed on the roller (10}, can guide under the needle block (5). Device according to claim 1, characterized in that 15 the needle block (5) is opposite the roller (10). Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the needle block (4) is only movable away from and towards the roller (10). Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the roller (10) is driven. Device according to one of the preceding claims, Characterized in that the device (1) is provided with a collapsible or removable guide plate (11a, 11b) which will guide an object (2) to be printed on the roll (10). 30 Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (1) is provided with 2017/5101 BE2017 / 5101 two drums (8) on which foil (3) is placed, in which needle block (4) is rolled pa on either side of the reel, respectively this foil (3). needle block k unrolled or over (4) it is possible Device according to one of the preceding, characterized in that the roller (10) is provided with an anti-slip coating or coating or that the roller is made of an anti-slip material. conclusions, is from one (10) itself Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the device (1) is provided with two rollers (10) which are arranged rotatably and side by side, the rollers (10) extending parallel to each other with their axis. 2017/5101 BE2017 / 5101 2017/5101 BE2017 / 5101 2017/5101 17 BE2017 / 5101 Device for printing an object with a foil * Device for printing an object (2) with a foil (3), which device (1} comprises a needle block (4) with needles (6) that can be heated, a control unit (5) which can determine and set which needles (6) at which time they are heated, characterized in that the The device (1) further comprises a roller (10) which is rotatably arranged and which, when placed on the roller (10), can guide the object (2) under the needle block (5).